1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to plug and socket assemblies, and more particularly to multi-plug, multiple piece housing assemblies.
2. Prior Art
Multi-plug and socket plug assemblies have achieved wide spread use in the electronics fields. A typical such assembly includes a housing member formed of an insulating material which contains a plurality of electrically conductive members having sockets at one end open to one side of the housing and projecting plugs at the other end projecting from the other side of the housing. The housing member is frequently formed as a two piece member with the pieces parting along a line normal to the projection of the plugs. The conductive members are received in aligned bores in the housing parts and may be provided with projections at the area of the parting line which are received in niche like expansion areas of the bores, the projections serving to lock the conductive members both axially and rotationally in the housing by means of engagement between the projections and the niche walls.
Such a plug member is known, for example, from British Pat. No. 1,063,077, German OS No. 14 90 171.
In order to reduce the size of the assembly, it is desired to provide the bores as close as possible to one another. To a certain extent, however, close packing is limited by the electrical creepage path which exists between the housing parts. By creating projections on the conductive members, particularly in the area of the split between the housing parts, the creepage path length between adjacent conductive members is reduced to the distance between the projections. In order to avoid problems encountered by the reduced creepage path, it has been known to sheath the conductive members, particularly in the area of the projections, with a hose like covering of insulating material before the conductive members are inserted into the bores of the electrically insulated housing. This, however, is a relatively involved method requiring additional components and additional assembly. It would be an appreciable advance in the art to provide the axial and rotational locking features in a manner which retains the simplicity of the projections but which does not adversely effect the creepage path length and which does not require additional components or assembly methods.